A compilation of photos, highlights, and milestones of NSPE\'s 75 years as an organization.

1. 75 Years of Professional
Excellence
© 2009 Published by the National Society of Professional Engineers

2. In May 1934, renowned bridge
engineer David Steinman, P.E.,
called together four engineering
organizations to discuss the
formation of a new national
engineering society.
Representatives of those
organizations—the New Jersey
Association of Professional
Engineers and Land Surveyors, the
New York State Society of
Professional Engineers, the
Pennsylvania Society of Professional
Engineers, and the Connecticut
Society of Professional Engineers—
met at the Columbia University Club
in New York City on May 25 and
decided to form a new,
nontechnical organization that
would be dedicated to the interests
of licensed professional engineers.

3. On September 3, the National
Society of Professional Engineers
was officially formed. In a keynote
address, Steinman, who had been
elected president, spoke of
protecting engineers from
unqualified practitioners, building
recognition for engineers, and
standing against unethical practices
and inadequate compensation.
“Through membership and active
participation in NSPE,” Steinman
said, “the individual engineer
renders his contribution toward
making engineering a better and
more satisfying profession than he
found it.”

4. NSPE’s First Officers
President: D.B. Steinman (center)
Vice President: T.W. Battin (top left)
Vice President: Hugh A. Kelly (top right)
Executive Secretary: T. Keith Legare
(bottom left)
Treasurer: Willard S. Conlon
(bottom right)

5. The American Engineer, the
magazine of the New York State
Society of Professional Engineers,
was adopted by NSPE as its official
publication.
In the inaugural issue of January
1935, Steinman wrote: “The
National Society of Professional
Engineers is the only national
organization in which membership
is limited exclusively to Professional
Engineers. It is a nationwide
organization devoted to the
common interests and aspirations
of all Engineers. It unites Engineers
of all sections of the country, and of
all branches of the Profession, in a
unity of strength, purpose, and
accomplishment.”

6. NSPE’s first convention was held October 23‐25, 1935 in Columbus, Ohio.

7. In May 1946, Paul Robbins, P.E.,
became NSPE’s executive director.
From a small office in the National
Press Building in Washington, D.C., he
began building a federation of state
societies with a membership of about
12,000. Robbins served as executive
director until 1978.
“The engineering profession has every
right to hold its head high—no single
group in society has contributed more
to the high standards of living we all
enjoy.”
–Paul Robbins

8. In 1946, NSPE moved its headquarters from the National Press Building to this
new office in the DuPont Circle section of Washington, D.C.

9. One of the main goals of NSPE’s early leaders was to assist engineering
groups in establishing and improving engineering licensing laws in all states
and jurisdictions. The first state to adopt an engineering licensing law was
Wyoming in 1907. The following is a list of when all states and jurisdictions
enacted their licensing laws.
Alabama 1935 Illinois 1945 Nebraska 1937 Rhode Island 1938
Alaska 1939 Indiana 1921 Nevada 1919 South Carolina 1922
Arizona 1921 Iowa 1919 New Hampshire 1945 South Dakota 1925
Arkansas 1925 Kansas 1931 New Jersey 1921 Tennessee 1921
California 1929 Kentucky 1938 New Mexico 1935 Texas 1937
Colorado 1919 Louisiana 1908 New York 1920 Utah 1935
Connecticut 1935 Maine 1935 North Carolina 1921 Vermont 1939
Delaware 1941 Maryland 1939 North Dakota 1943 Virgin Islands 1968
D.C. 1950 Massachusetts 1941 Ohio 1933 Virginia 1920
Florida 1917 Michigan 1919 Oklahoma 1935 Washington 1935
Georgia 1937 Minnesota 1921 Oregon 1919 West Virginia 1921
Guam 1960 Mississippi 1928 Panama Canal 1956 Wisconsin 1931
Hawaii 1923 Missouri 1941 Pennsylvania 1921 Wyoming 1907
Idaho 1919 Montana 1947 Puerto Rico 1927

10. EWeek
To show the public how engineers
contribute to society, NSPE
launched National Engineers Week
in 1951.

11. The First
National
Engineers Week
In the photo on the left, New
York Governor Thomas Dewey
signs a 1951 National Engineers
Week Proclamation as
members of the New York
State Society of Professional
Above, Oklahoma Governor Johnston
Engineers look on. Governors
Murray (center) prepares civil defense
from eight other states also
programs with the help of members of the
signed EWeek proclamations
Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers.
that year.
The programs were broadcast over state
networks during the inaugural National
Engineers Week.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

12. Today, the National Engineers
Week Foundation is supported by
more than 70 societies and 29
corporate affiliates.

13. NSPE published its first income and
salary survey in 1952. It was sold to
members for 50 cents per copy.
According to the survey, 50% of
engineers earned at least $7,850.

14. In 1954, NSPE created the Board of
Ethical Review to take real and
hypothetical situations and analyze
the ethics involved. Since 1958, the
Board has published more than 500
opinions and has helped solidify
NSPE’s reputation as the profession’s
leading organization for promoting
ethical practice.
The Engineers’ Creed was also
adopted in 1954 as a short philosophy
of service that could be used in
ceremonies or in recognition of
individuals.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

15. Engineers’ Creed
As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the
advancement and betterment of human welfare.
I pledge:
To give the utmost of performance;
To participate in none but honest enterprise;
To live and work according to the laws of man and the highest standards of
professional conduct;
To place service before profit, the honor and standing of the profession before
personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations.
In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge.
(Adopted June 1954)
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

16. As NSPE grew, the Society’s
leaders decided to build a new
headquarters at 2029 K Street
in Washington, D.C. The
groundbreaking took place in
March 1955, and the building
opened in January 1956.
NSPE President Clarence Shoch (center)
Executive Director Paul Robbins (right)
Treasurer Russell Allen (left)

17. Members supported the financing of
the $400,000, fully air‐conditioned
headquarters by purchasing $100
bonds that carried a four percent
interest rate over 20 years.

18. Robert L. Nichols, P.E., F.NSPE Robert S. Miller III, P.E., F.NSPE Albert H. Miller, P.E., F.NSPE
Bernard R. Berson P.E., F.NSPE Thomas D. Hixson, P.E., F.NSPE H.E. Bovay, Jr., P.E., F.NSPE Louis A. Bacon, P.E., F.NSPE
In the 1950s, NSPE members became increasingly interested in employment practices,
and they looked to their Society for assistance. In 1956, the organization formed its
first “functional section”—the Functional Section for Engineers in Private Practice—as
a forum for “discussion and united action on the part of members grouped according
to type of professional practice.” Later the group became known as the Professional
Engineers in Private Practice. (Photos: Former PEPP Chairmen)

19. The Professional Engineers in Private Practice was followed by the creation of other
groups based on practice areas: Professional Engineers in Government (1957),
Professional Engineers in Industry (1961), Professional Engineers in Education (1965),
and Professional Engineers in Construction (1972).

20. NSPE played an active role in the
1957 meeting at Michigan State
University that established the Junior
Engineering Technical Society as a
nonprofit organization. Today, NSPE
is a professional affiliate of JETS, an
organization that teaches high
school students about careers in
engineering and related technical
fields and helps them understand
the critical role engineers play in the
world around us.

21. In the fall of 1958, NSPE awarded
its first engineering scholarships
with the backing of ARMCO Steel.
Then, in June 1960, the Society
incorporated the NSPE Educational
Foundation to continue
administering scholarships and to
take on other activities that
support engineering education.

22. Today, the NSPE Educational Foundation administers the following scholarships:
• The Maureen L. & Howard N. Blitman Scholarship to Promote Diversity in Engineering:
$5,000 for freshman year
• The Paul H. Robbins, P.E., Honorary Scholarship: $10,000 for junior year
• The William R. Kimel, P.E., Engineering Scholarship: $2,500 for senior year
• The Steinman Fellowship: Two $5,000 fellowships for graduate school
• The Milton F. Lunch Memorial Internship: $7,000 stipend
• NSPE Auxiliaries: $2,000 for junior year
• Virginia D. Henry Memorial Scholarship: $1,000 for junior year for young woman
• NSPE/PEC George Hightower, P.E., Fellowship: $3,000 for graduate‐level engineer

23. At NSPE’s 25th anniversary dinner in 1959, Society founder David Steinman said,
“For those of us who have known the struggles and hardships of engineering in
the lean and difficult years, there is a deep satisfaction in knowing that we have
done our part in making engineering a finer, nobler, and more satisfying
profession for those who come after us.”

24. Since the Society’s founding, promoting ethical engineering practice has played a
prominent role in its mission. In 1946, NSPE adopted a statement on ethics that
was created by a committee comprising a number of engineering groups. In 1963,
the Society adopted its own code of ethics, which has changed over the years but
remains the organization’s guiding document.
NSPE Code of Ethics
Preamble
Engineering is an important and learned profession. As members of this
profession, engineers are expected to exhibit the highest standards of honesty
and integrity. Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life
for all people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require
honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the
protection of the public health, safety, and welfare. Engineers must perform
under a standard of professional behavior that requires adherence to the
highest principles of ethical conduct.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

25. In 1968, Professional Engineer magazine replaced American Engineer.

26. In 1971, NSPE created the
Legal Fund “to provide
financial assistance in
situations involving legal or
legislative matters of broad
and general concern to the
engineering profession.”
Recently, the Legal Fund has
been used to support the
interests of professional
engineers in cases involving
the “economic loss” rule,
contract provisions on
construction site safety,
limitation of liability, and
professional liability
insurance.

27. In 1972, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit against NSPE for
Code of Ethics provisions banning competitive bidding of engineering
services. To preserve the provisions, NSPE took the case all the way to the
Supreme Court, which ruled against the Society in 1978.

28. Over the years, NSPE has worked
closely with elected officials on
issues of interest to professional
engineers. In 1978, the Society
formed the NSPE Political Action
Committee. The nonpartisan NSPE‐
PAC is the only political action
committee aimed solely at
representing the interests of PEs.

29. The first issue of
Engineering Times
was published in
September 1979 as
a profession‐wide
newspaper. ET
eventually replaced
Professional Engineer
as the Society’s
flagship publication.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

30. The Federal Engineer of
the Year Award,
established in 1980,
recognizes an engineer
employed by the federal
government for
outstanding service.
NSPE President Bradley Aldrich,
P.E., F.NSPE, presents the 2009
Federal Engineer of the Year
Award to Kirankumar Topudurti,
P.E., of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

31. The National Institute for Certification in
Engineering Technologies was formed in
1981 by way of a merger between the
Institute for the Certification of Engineering
Technicians and the Engineering
Technologist Certification Institute.
Since its founding in 1961 as the Institute
for the Certification of Engineering
Technicians, NICET has granted more than
125,000 certifications.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

32. The National Academy of Forensic Engineers
became a chartered affinity group of NSPE in
1982. NAFE plays a leadership role in the
ethical practice of forensic engineering by
fostering competent, independent, and
unbiased application of engineering
principles within the jurisprudence system.
To qualify for NAFE membership, candidates
must be NSPE members and licensed
professional engineers.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

33. To celebrate its 50th anniversary in
1984, NSPE presented walkways on
the grounds of the Washington
Monument as a gift from the Society
and the engineering community to
the people of the U.S. NSPE also
commissioned a symphony called
The Spirit of Engineering, composed
by Richard Bales of the National
Gallery Orchestra.

34. NSPE’s 50th anniversary celebration
included a July party on the grounds
of the Washington Monument. NSPE
President Louis Bacon, P.E., F.NSPE,
announced that the Society would
be contributing two 1,200‐foot long,
15‐foot wide sidewalks leading to
the base of the monument.
Top photo: James Coyne, President Ronald
Reagan’s special assistant for private sector
initiatives; NSPE President Louis Bacon; and a
100‐pound cake to celebrate the monument’s
upcoming 100th birthday.
Bottom photo: Bacon, Interior Secretary
William Clark, Secretary of the Army John
Marsh, and Russel Train, vice president of the
Washington Monument Society.

35. Following a campaign by
NSPE members, the U.S.
Postal Service issued a stamp
in 1984 commemorating
Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878–
1972), who is often referred
to as “the first lady of
engineering.” Gilbreth ran a
consulting firm with her
husband and helped pioneer
the field of time‐and‐motion
studies. In 1965, she became
the first woman elected to
the National Academy of
Engineering.

36. On May 23, 1983, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for a new 60,000 square
foot headquarters building in Alexandria, Virginia.
From left: NSPE Past President Robert Nichols P.E., F.NSPE; Alexandria Mayor Charles Beatley Jr.; NSPE
Executive Director Don Weinert, P.E., F.NSPE; NSPE President Marvin Specter P.E., F.NSPE; and NSPE President‐
Elect Louis Bacon P.E., F.NSPE.

37. During NSPE’s 50th
anniversary
celebrations,
the Society officially
dedicated its new
headquarters at 1420
King Street in
Alexandria, Virginia.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

38. Today, 1420 King Street is
the headquarters not only
for NSPE, but also
MATHCOUNTS, the National
Engineers Week Foundation,
the Junior Engineering
Technical Society, the
National Institute for
Certification in Engineering
Technologies, and other
tenants.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

39. The first national MATHCOUNTS
competition was held in 1984.
The national math enrichment,
coaching, and competition
program promotes middle
school mathematics
achievement and was founded
by NSPE, the CNA Insurance
Group, and the National Council
of Teachers of Mathematics. The
original concept for
MATHCOUNTS grew out of a
math contest held by the
Alabama Society of Professional
Engineers in the 1970s.

40. The National Academy
of Building Inspection
Engineers became a
chartered affinity group
of NSPE in 1990. NABIE
accepts as members
only state‐licensed
professional engineers
and registered
architects specializing in
the practice of building
inspections.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

41. In 1993, Merriam‐Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary added “professional engineer”
under its “PE” entry in the 10th edition thanks to a letter‐writing campaign by NSPE
members and state society leaders.

42. NSPE entered the
Internet Age in
December 1995 by
launching its Web site,
www.nspe.org. The
site was built with the
help of three interns
from Worcester
Polytechnic Institute.
Currently, the NSPE
homepage alone
receives about 25,000
visits each month.

43. In July 2003, Teresa Helmlinger, P.E., F.NSPE,
became the first woman president of NSPE.
Helmlinger started her career at Carolina
Power and Light, working her way up to
director of commercial and industrial
market development. She later became
executive director of the Industrial
Extension Service at North Carolina State
University.
“If you’re a certain race, color, or gender,
you have to work twice as hard to establish
your credibility. I think it’s important that we
start seeing engineers as coming from all
walks of life.”
–Teresa Helmlinger
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

44. NSPE’s Engineering Times
went into retirement after
the December 2005 issue and
was replaced by PE: The
Magazine for Professional
Engineers.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

45. NSPE celebrated the
100th anniversary of
professional engineering
licensure in 2007. A
special June issue of PE
magazine was published
in partnership with the
National Council of
Examiners for
Engineering and
Surveying.
PE license No. 1, issued to
Charles Bellamy on August 8,
1907, in Wyoming.
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

46. State Society Affiliation Dates
Connecticut September 3, 1934 Minnesota July 1, 1943 Alabama June 16, 1951
New Jersey September 3, 1934 Georgia January 1, 1944 Nebraska June 16, 1951
New York September 3, 1934 Wisconsin January 1, 1944 Utah June 6, 1952
Pennsylvania September 3, 1934 Kansas July 1, 1944 Iowa February 17, 1956
Illinois November 1, 1934 Nevada April 26, 1946 Mississippi February 17, 1956
Ohio February 14, 1935 Michigan May 10, 1946 Montana February 15, 1957
District of Columbia September 29, 1935 North Dakota February 28, 1947 Wyoming June 6, 1957
Oklahoma January 10, 1936 New Mexico April 18, 1947 South Dakota June 6, 1957
Texas February 11, 1936 South Carolina December 5, 1947 Canal Zone June 7, 1957
West Virginia April 1, 1936 Florida March 12, 1948 Louisiana February 13, 1958
Indiana January 8, 1937 Idaho March 12, 1948 Alaska October 23, 1958
Missouri January 9, 1937 California December 16, 1948 Oregon February 19, 1959
Massachusetts May 19, 1937 Colorado December 16, 1948 Maine February 19, 1959
Rhode Island May 27, 1937 Virginia March 10, 1949 Hawaii February 19, 1959
Washington December 2, 1937 Arizona March 10, 1949 Vermont October 15, 1959
Maryland March 23, 1938 Tennessee March 11, 1949 Kentucky June 8, 1960
Arkansas April 9, 1938 North Carolina March 1, 1950 New Hampshire June 8, 1960
Puerto Rico August 19, 1942 Delaware January 1, 1951 Guam July 9, 1970
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

47. Past Presidents
1935–36 1948–49 1957–58 1966–67
David B. Steinman, P.E. Alex Van Praag Jr., P.E. Garvin H. Dyer, P.E. Thomas M. Linville, P.E.
1937–38 1949–50 1958–59 1967–68
Arthur V. Sheridan, P.E. Alan G. Stanford, P.E. Clark A. Dunn, P.E. L. M. Van Doren, P.E.
1939 1950–51 1959–60 1968–69
Perry T. Ford, P.E. Sidney L. Stolte, P.E. Harold A. Mosher, P.E. Edwin H. Young, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE
1940–41 1951–52 1960–61 1969–70
John C. Riedel, P.E. L. L. Dresser, P.E. Noah E. Hull, P.E. Pierce G. Ellis, P.E., F.NSPE
1941–42 1952–53 1961–62 1970–71
John W. Beretta, P.E. John D. Coleman, P.E. Murray A. Wilson, P.E. Harry C. Simrall, P.E., F.NSPE
1942–43 1953–54 1962–63 1971–72
E. A. Holbrook, P.E. T. Carr Forrest Jr., P.E. Harvey F. Pierce, P.E. J. Caldwell Wilson, P.E.
1943–44 1954–55 1963–64 1972–73
Walter L. Simpson, P.E. Clarence T. Shoch, P.E. John H. Stufflebean, P.E. James F. Shivler Jr., P.E.
1944–45 1955–56 1964–65 1973–74
Harry E. Nold, P.E. Allison C. Neff, P.E. Brandon H. Backlund, P.E. Robert L. Reitinger, P.E., F.NSPE
1946–47 1956–57 1965–66 1974–75
Ritchie E. Lawrie, P.E. Robert J. Rhinehart, P.E. J. Neils Thompson, P.E. Leslie C. Gates, P.E., F.NSPE
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary

48. Past Presidents
1975–76 1984–85 1993–94 2002–03
Harry E. Bovay Jr., P.E., F.NSPE Herbert G. Koogle, P.E., F.NSPE Thomas D. Hixson, P.E., F.NSPE Howard N. Blitman, P.E., F.NSPE
1976–77 1985–86 1994–95 2003–04
Edward E. Slowter, P.E., F.NSPE Paul E. Pritzker, P.E. Monte L. Phillips, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE Teresa A. Helmlinger, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE
1977–78 1986–87 1995–96 2004–05
Del Schmand, P.E., F.NSPE Joseph H. Kuranz, P.E., L.S., D.E.E. Clyde R. Tipton Jr, P.E., F.NSPE Bobby E. Price Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE
1978–79 1987–88 1996–97 2005–06
Robert L. Nichols, P.E., F.NSPE Charles H. Samson, P.E., F.NSPE Jack D. Hinton, P.E., F.NSPE Kathryn A. Gray, P.E., F.NSPE
1979–80 1988–89 1997–98 2006–07
Sammie F. Lee, P.E., F.NSPE Robert C. Gibson, P.E., F.NSPE Kenneth B. Walch, P.E., F.NSPE Robert S. Miller III, P.E., F.NSPE
1980–81 1989–90 1998–99 2007–08
William A. Cox Jr., P.E., F.NSPE E. Walter LeFevre, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE Robert L. Sylar, P.E., F.NSPE Bernard R. Berson, P.E., L.S., F.NSPE
1981–82 1990–91 1999–2000 2008–09
Otto A. Tennant, P.E., F.NSPE Neil A. Norman, P.E., D.E.E., F.NSPE J. David Waugh, P.E., F.NSPE Bradley F. Aldrich, P.E., F.NSPE
1982–83 1991–92 2000–01
Marvin M. Specter, P.E.,L.S., F.NSPE Donald L. Hiatte, P.E., F.NSPE Albert H. Miller, P.E., PLS, F.NSPE
1983–84 1992–93 2001–02
Louis A. Bacon, P.E., F.NSPE Joe Paul Jones, P.E. Daniel D. Clinton Jr, P.E., F.NSPE
The National Society of Professional Engineers 75th Anniversary